


Ms. Stars and Stripes and the Counterfeit Drug Ring

by TheKeyboardNinja



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Missing Episodes Challenge, Picking up where the season ended, Post 17x20
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:54:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24105523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheKeyboardNinja/pseuds/TheKeyboardNinja
Summary: Counterfeit drugs are being run through a local military base with some intel showing the base beauty and talent pageant as the center of the money laundering operations. Post 17x20. Bits and pieces of the lost stories of season 17. Very light Miss Congeniality Inspo with prompts from the #MissingEpisodesChallenge included.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Comments: 8
Kudos: 46
Collections: The Missing Episodes





	Ms. Stars and Stripes and the Counterfeit Drug Ring

“NCIS,” multiple agents call out, bursting into the room with guns drawn.

“Bishop! Bishop, you can let go,” Gibbs knelt down to Agent Bishop, who had a suspect in a headlock. “It’s over now.”

“It’s not just him, there’s others!” Ellie exclaimed as she slowly released the suspect, as another agent handcuffed the suspect and read him his rights. “The drugs, the money, everything…”

“We can debrief later, where’s Jack?”

“In there,” Ellie pointed down the hall. “I think she took down the other one and is holding them at gunpoint.”

Gibbs smiled silently and walked down the hall.

“Fornell!” McGee yelled, causing Ellie to turn to look behind her. “What are you doing here and why do you have a gun? This is a secured military base!”

“That’s not important,” Fornell holstered his weapon and walked down the hallway after Gibbs.

“B, you alright?” she heard from her left, as Nick came up to her holstering his weapon. “What the hell happened? It’s been two minutes!”

“Why do they always run?”

A beat happened as Nick waited for her to continue.

“It’s been going on for years, and it’s not just here.”

Nick nodded, “It reminds me of a case down in North Carolina my old partner had once that he told me about, but…”

Nick stopped as Ellie had started staring off into space again.

“Let’s get you out of here,” Nick placed his arm around her shoulder guiding her outside. “Just think of the story you get to tell now.”

“Like one of yours?”

“Shut it.”

****

“I understand Mr. Secretary, thank you,” Director Vance ended the call and looked up to the man in front of his desk. “Agent Gibbs, thank you for joining me.”

“Director, you asked to see me.”

“According to SecNav, we have a highly sensitive case out of a nearby military base. Counterfeit drugs resulting in high overdose rates. Sound familiar?”

Gibbs nodded and turned towards the screen on the wall.

“I know the DEA has been working on the lead from Tobias,” Leon stood up, adjusted his suit coat while standing next to Gibbs pressing the remote for the screen.

“Yup.”

“As he has been told to repeatedly stand down, I am assured you have no further information about it.”

Gibbs glanced over at Leon and then back to the screen.

“Why do I even bother?” Leon muttered to himself. “We have intel that the Ms. Stars and Stripes is a cover operation to launder the money out of the base.”

“A beauty pageant?” Gibbs scoffed.

“We are going to need to get someone inside. SecNav wants this dealt with.”

“Of course, he does.”

“Why am I here?”

“I already took the liberty of searching my database of undercover agents and backstopped military identities,” Director Vance started. “We need an agent that can operate with limited support, hold their own in hand-to-hand combat, and proficiency in multiple languages. We do not know who we are dealing with here, Gibbs.”

Gibbs turned to leave, grabbing the file from the table, “I didn’t tell you who I chose.”

“You don’t have to, Leon.”

****

Descending the stairs and around into the bullpen, Gibbs strolled by the agents in the middle of a conversation about stupid things they did in high school.

“Boss?” McGee looked up startled. “We got a body?”

“Nope?”

“Car accident?”

Gibbs circled around his desk and returned to Bishop’s desk, dropping a folder in front of her, “Captain.”

“Uh,” Ellie said as she opened the folder. “Marine Eleanor Donen making a comeback?”

“And a promotion.” Gibbs walked back to his desk. “You up for it?”

“Yeah,” Ellie closed the folder. “Just been awhile since I’ve been undercover.”

“Well, it’s not new. Same story as before.”

“Before?” Nick chimed in.

“Yeah, my first undercover assignment. McGee and I went undercover as Tim Donen and Second Lieutenant Ellie Donen as Quantico. There was a murder, a body in a bag, switched identifies, very messy.”

“And I’m just learning about this now?” Nick crossed his arms, leaning on his desk.

“Ellie fought the guy and stabbed him with scissors,” McGee leaned back in his chair.

“He fell on them, alright!” Ellie defended herself. “Tony called me probalicious stabalicious for a week.”

Gibbs suddenly rose from his desk and jogged upstairs.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah, I need to ask something.”

After Gibbs had completed the journey and was walking past MTAC, down the catwalk, the agents all looked at each other and said “Jack.”

****

Three days later, Bishop, McGee, Gibbs, and Torres were gathered around the table in Director Vance’s office.

“A beauty pageant?” Bishop questioned in a declarative manner. “Director, what does this have to do with the overdoses on base?” 

A soft knock emerged from door, Director Vance turned, “Come in.”

“Hi, sorry I’m late,” Agent Sloane entered, placing her folders on the desk sitting down between Torres and McGee. “What did I miss?”

“Apparently, this is a beauty pageant heist.”

“Recent intel reports have shown that the Ms. Stars and Stripes talent show has been used to laundry drug money off base to run the operation. We don’t want them to know we are onto them, so SecNav has ordered us to investigate from within,” Director Vance briefed the agents, while clicking through the briefing on the plasma.

“Gibbs and I will be running the op from MTAC, we need limited visibility on base. McGee, you will be temporarily transferred to the NCIS office on base as yourself, running the communications between the secure channel there and MTAC. Torres, you will be Staff Sergeant Nick Martín, Military Police working base security to assist in the getting our people in and off the base undetected. Agent Sloane, you will be civilian, as Captain Donen’s family member for the event.”

The agents took the time to review the packets in front of them resulting in silence falling over the room.

“Information on this operation is need-to-know, Marine lives are at stake,” Director Vance sat behind his desk.

“This reminds me of an operation I had once, in Atlantic City…” Nick started.

Ellie groaned, “Nick, no. Not that one.”

Tim looked up at his paper amused, “Nick, what’d you do in Atlantic City?”

“Please don’t get him started, I’m still recovering from the story.”

“Why does it make you embarrassed? I was the one who had to deal with it.”

“Jack,” Ellie leaned over to the agent to her left. “Wanna go over our back stories?”

“Yeah, meet you in my office in ten minutes?” Jack asked.

After the team had dispersed around the office, Ellie met up with Jack in her office to go over their story as family members. Once they had the relationship solidified as Jack being Ellie’s mother’s younger sister, the conversation turned into a pre-operation debriefing.

“How are you feeling, Ellie, about all of this? You’ve been through a lot this last year,” Jack inquired.

“Better,” Ellie trailed off.

“The Xavier incident really took it out of you.”

Ellie nodded silently, Jack was afraid she had hit a button, as her fellow agent had clammed up and started being distant again. She was still refusing to talk about her actions after Colleen made Xavier hit them with the car.

“Gibbs says you have been doing hand-to-hand training since your wrist healed,” Jack attempted to restart the conversation, clicked on the tea kettle in the corner.

“Yeah, Odette knows the best of the best,” Ellie said, with a noticeable flash in her eyes as she shifted the conversation. “She came highly recommended.”

“I heard about you doing the leg sweep on the one guy.”

“Gibbs,” Ellie nodded. “So, he’s talking, huh? He’s seemed even more quiet since coming back from Hawai’i.”

“This is about you, Ellie. Are you ready to be on your own with limited support? I can talk to the Director to find someone else if this will be too much.”

Ellie nodded to the woman beside her. She was ready, this is what she was training for.

“Nick!” Jack called out to the man walking by the door. He stopped and pointed to himself, questioning.

“Yes, you. Whatcha doing?”

“Supplies…” Nick trailed off pointing down the hallway.

“Twice? You get lost… again?”

Nick leaned on the open door with hands on either side of the door frame, “I just wanna know what your talent is gonna be. Please don’t say essay writing.”

“Oh, god,” Ellie leaned back in the chair holding her forehead. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Don’t sing that song from karaoke either.”

“Rude.”

“What song from karaoke?” Jack chimed in, trying to enter back into the conversation.

“You know that bar down on the other side of the stadium with the rooftop bar?”

“Mm,” Jack nodded. “Do you two do that often?”

“Some of us aren’t invited to poker nights, Jack,” Nick quipped, leaning on Jack’s desk looking at the two women.

“Touché,” Jack turned to Ellie, “So, what are you going to do?”

Ellie leaned back again and stared at the ceiling. This was harder than it should be.

“I’m gonna go on a walk, get some air and think about it,” Ellie jumped up the chair and walked out office door. “Good talk, Jack. See you there.”

Nick took off after Ellie down the hall until they were walking in stride.

“Are you ready for this, Bishop?”

“Yeah, as ready as I can be,” Ellie sighed pressing the elevator button to go outside. “I can’t believe they have members of the military in addition to spouses take part in this event. Antiquated bullshit. What even for!”

“Well, currently it seems to be a drug front.”

“It better be,” Ellie sighed getting on the elevator with Nick joining.

As the elevator doors closed Nick exclaimed, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were married to McGee.”

****  
  


The next morning, everyone was in position on base ready for the operation to begin. Bits of intel had broken through, but nothing could prepare Captain Ellie Donen for what she was about to uncover.

“You must be Captain Donen,” Ellie heard from her right. “I’m Corporal Margot Donovan, here to show you to your ready area.”

“Ready area?”

“Yes, ma’am, all participants have small area to prepare for the stages of events. Is this your first time?”

“Yeah, I didn’t even know about until a couple months ago, I though the lieutenant was pulling my leg.”

“I suppose it is a morale booster, ma’am,” Corporal Donovan surmised. “Here is your area and the bathrooms are down the hall to the left.”

“Thank you, corporal.”

“Ma’am,” Corporal Donovan stood at attention and walked away.

Ellie quickly looked around to the other participants, in various stages of preparing for the talent portion of the festivities.

Why did this nightmare have to the be the center of a drug kingpin’s operations? Why wouldn’t it be nice scuba tanks snuck into the base via the sea? That’s nice and clean.

“I’m Amanda!” the woman with curlers in her brown hair stuck out her hand in front of Ellie.

“Ellie Donen,” she shook the woman’s hand.

“Still in uniform? You stationed here?”

“No, just came over today for the fundraiser and it turned into all of this. You?”

“My husband, he’s a staff sergeant stationed here, for the last six months. We were in Okinawa and Australia before that. I just entered because the 10,000-dollar prize… and well, we could really use the money if we ever want to live off base. I play the flute.”

Ellie nodded, “Spoken word. Poetry.”

“Ellie! There you are!” Jack called over, entering the ready area hallway.

“Ah, my aunt, excuse me,” Ellie excused herself and went down the hallway.

After a quick sitrep with Sloane with the update from McGee and Torres, Bishop was able to give her insight regarding the prize money with Sloane.

“You think the prize money is one of the methods of laundering?” Sloane asked.

“It has to be, the money used to buy the drugs goes out, while they get new clean money coming in that looks legitimate.”

“Hmm,” Agent Sloane mused. “McGee seems to think that even with the extra guard duty brought in, they’re going to bring in a shipment tonight when everyone is distracted. Remember your assignment.”

“See what I can find in the producers office, what about you?”

“Oh, I’ll just see what kind of trouble I can get into,” Jack smirked and walked back towards the front lobby.

“Sure, she would,” Ellie laughed to herself, started to walk down the hallway when suddenly the door behind her opened and she was pulled in.

“What the…” Ellie yelled out in surprise when a hand clamped over her mouth.

“Shh… it’s me.”

“Torres, what the hell,” she whisper yelled, shoving both shoulders. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing? What are you doing, what are you wearing? Why aren’t you ready?”

“I was waiting to change until after I snuck into the producer’s office, genius.”

“Well, camo is a terrible color,” Nick started, but silenced after the glare shot in his direction. “McGee agrees with me.”

“I do not!” was heard over the earwig resting on his shoulder.

“You shouldn’t be here! Aren’t you on guard duty?”

“Obviously not base entrance. But, with you and Sloane radio silent we couldn’t tell you what happened.”

“Producer’s dead. Shot. A couple hours at least,” was heard from McGee from the radio on Torres’ shoulder.

“Now what?”

“We’re still figuring that out, but they’re using old school radio frequency to avoid detection and overheard they’re still on for tonight.”

“Did you hear that?” Ellie whispered.

“Yeah, what a mess.”

“No,” Ellie clamped her hand over his mouth and pointed towards the toward, where low murmurs were occurring in the hallway.

“Sounds like a fight,” Torres mouthed, and his eyes arched in surprised with the death threats that were occurring in the hallway. “Someone really mad.”

Ellie pursed her lips, while leaning again the door and opening it slightly, “You stay here for a little bit. I’ll see if the coast is clear.”

As she was leaning back, the door flung open causing her to fall straight onto her back.

“Captain!” Corporal Donovan exclaimed. “I thought some kids ran off and hid in the hallway. Is everything okay here?”

Ellie stood up slowly to gain composure and think of the next things to say, everyone on the base was a suspect.

“Just golden,” Torres said leaving the closet himself and starting down the hallway. “Just having a conversation. Good-bye Captain, Corporal.”

“Sergeant?” Margot questioned. “Is he new?”

“Ah, yeah. Guard duty for the event,” Ellie cleared her throat as Donovan continued to look at her amused. “What?”

“Nothing, ma’am,” Donovan cleared her throat. “I won’t say anything. Your secret is safe with me.”

“Secret? No! No!” Ellie waved her hands after figuring out what the corporal was insinuating.

“Anyway, they’re gonna start soon, you might want to get ready.”

Ellie was guided back down the hallway even more confused than before. A simple operation turned more complicated by the minute. Things were getting interesting, but…

…then it got worse.

Within the next hour, all previous plans had gone to shit. The producer was dead. Three contestants were missing. Now, everyone was locked in the building until base police arrived. But they were preoccupied.

Ellie had just changed into formal wear when the guard’s dogs started barking at the fence. Security detail had gone marching by, hushed voices were happening in the far corners. Rumors of the producer’s death had reached the crowd, and they were all muttering amongst themselves.

No time to change, she grabbed her sidearm out of the bottom of the bag and went to go find Jack in the formal gown and boots. Time for plan C.

“Hey nice outfit,” Jack said as she found Ellie backstage.

“Any update from Gibbs or Vance?” Ellie ignored the comment. “When I left two contests were a crying mess about the three that were missing.”

“Air support is showing a break in the fence along the western ridge, they’re doing a perimeter check as we speak.”

Ellie peered around the corner, “We need to get out of sight.” She pulled Jack down the hall an empty office down the hall. “They’re here.”

“Here,” Jack handed her an in-ear radio once they were inside.

“Did you expect everything to go to shit like this?”

“No, no I did not. But I learned some interesting things overhearing conversations in the crowd.”

“Like what?”

“Words that were obviously code for transactions and the like.”

Ellie leaned against the window of the office, attempting to glance for anyone out of place.

“Like what?”

“Not so much what they say, but how they say it. Body language. The sweat on their brow, their pinpoint pupils, the speed of their speech.”

“They’re high, here?”

“Big time.”

“Shh,” Ellie shushed, quickly opening the door dragging in a figure and closing the door.

“Was that payback for earlier?” was asked as soon as the door was closed.

“Shh,” Ellie shushed, placing her ear against the door.

“It’s the quiet police,” Torres remarked to Jack who was checking her cartilage of her handgun. “Who is wearing… are you wearing boots and a dress?”

“They’re speaking French, but the accent….” Ellie whispered. “It sounds Canadian.”

“Who is?” Torres asked.

“The catering staff,” Ellie surmised. “Do we know anything about them?”

“Nothing came up on background check, they have had the franchise contract for the fast food place on base for the last five years, out of the Montreal subsidiary,” Torres recounted.

“They’re talking to their boss now, asking what they should do. What if the source of everything has gone under their noses this whole time?”

Jack answered her phone, speaking softly and briefly. “Gibbs is on his way.”

Ellie open the door and drew her gun, slowly turning the corner, “Let’s go.”

The three agents walked slowly down the hallway towards the back kitchen. Briefly making eye contact with McGee through the window, Ellie gave hand signals for him to go around front. They soon entered a split hallway with Torres going left, Sloane going right, and Bishop taking center.

When Ellie reached the kitchen, three of the kitchen staff were rummaging around in fridge and attempting to flush stuff down the disposal as fast as they could.

“NCIS, hands where I can see them.”

The three men scattered, throwing pans and anything they could get their hands on behind them.

“RUNNERS,” Ellie yelled, hoping to get Torres and Sloane’s attention, as she chased the men through the kitchen.

A door was slammed shut and locked behind them, responded with a quick slam open after a stomp from her boots. Ha, boots came in handy, she thought as she continued to bear down on the suspects.

Realizing they were trapped, the pair remaining started swinging. After a few punches, her gun went flying and it was a flurry of limbs flying. A sweep of the leg knocked one out, leaving her grappling with the remaining suspecting. Flipping them over, she got him into a headlock, hoping that he would briefly pass out.

“NCIS,” multiple agents call out, bursting into the room with guns drawn.

It was over.

****

“The pageant had nothing to do with it, it was all the fast food plaza on base. Running drugs in with their supply trucks, masked in their cheap coffee. The event producer thought something was up and confronted them, and he paid for it.”

“Money was being laundered, but it wasn’t what was expected,” Gibbs continued debriefing Bishop outside. “And the missing women were just hiding in a cubby under the stairs. They heard someone had been shot and ran.”

“Director?” Ellie questioned, as she saw Leon Vance drive up and walk over to them.

“Agent Bishop, excellent work tonight. Now, I have to go apologize to the base commander for not notifying him beforehand.”

“That’s a nice shiner you got there, kid,” Jack smiled, as she reached for Ellie’s forehead.

“You should see the other guy,” Ellie joked.

“I think his shoulder is dislocated,” Nick commented, motioning punches.

“One of you take her home now,” Gibbs called out, talking with the base commander and Director Vance.

“Bye,” Jack waved and walked towards the director.

“Let’s go,” Nick grabbed her arm and lead her to the car. “I’m driving, you probably have a concussion.”

“I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry.”

“I want bahn mi.” 

“Sandwiches it is,” Nick turned over the engine and they headed back towards DC.

After getting food, Ellie was eating her sandwich as she walked in the front door, “I wanna know how they get the carrots so perfect.”

“Are you going to say that about every ingredient about the sandwich?”

“Maybe,” Ellie plopped down on the couch, throwing off the boots. She grabbed the remote and started up Netflix. “You didn’t need to come up, you know?”

“You trying to get rid of me already?” Nick sat down on the couch, opening his sandwich. “Got a hot date?”

“Ha,” Ellie mocked laughed picking up the carrots that had fallen onto the paper.

“Don’t eat the paper.”

“You pick something to watch, I’m going to burn this dress,” Ellie said throwing the remote at him, prompting a grumble response.

Nick finished his sandwiche and started scrolling through the television menu. Bored at the choices in front of him, he sighed and started looking around the apartment. He had not had a good look around since her massive purge of everything. Attempting to evolve meant getting rid of a lot of stuff. However, some things remained.

Ceramic figurines from her great-grandmother. A framed photo of her and Clayton. And a carefully folded piece of paper… that looked familiar.

Nick looked over his shoulder and saw the bathroom door was still closed, carefully picking up the note he had written several months ago that he had no idea what it said. He had become engrossed reading the words on the page, so much so he didn’t hear her walk up behind him.

“Is it what you expected?”

“Better.”

Ellie nodded and plopped down on the couch, “You were really out of it that day.”

Joining her on the couch, he turned to face her, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, “I meant every word.”

**Author's Note:**

> And with that, I managed to mention prompts #1, #3, and #4 in some form. I was inspired by Miss Congeniality. Wear the crown, be the crown. Never forget anything.


End file.
